Among the many impressive accomplishments of former Broncos running back Terrell Davis, who was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2017, is this: He got there after being drafted in the sixth round.
That’s incredibly rare. As noted by Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated, there is currently just one Hall of Famer who was selected in the sixth round of the draft: Jack Christiansen, who was selected by the Lions in the sixth round in 1951.
It’s not that late-round picks can’t make the Hall of Fame: The seventh round has produced nine Hall of Famers, while the now-defunct Rounds 8 and later have produced a total of 23 Hall of Famers. It’s just that Round 6 has been devoid of Hall of Famers.
Another 16 Hall of Famers entered the NFL as undrafted free agents; this year’s selection, Kurt Warner, will be the 17th.
And, of course, Davis and Christiansen will have some company as Hall of Famers drafted in the sixth round five years after Tom Brady retires.